Ah, Fleas.

I have no idea why flea markets are called such.  But we went to one today, and I scored three awesome pieces for $11 total.  And I have a new collection inspiration: vintage Pyrex. :)  Mmmm, love it.  The piece that started it all today?  This funny rooster serving tray!  Now Mike and I are flea market fans and might even go back tomorrow.  Well, let's be real here-- I've always been a flea market fan (right, Alyx?)... but now I have another partner in crime!!  Here are my treasures, and a still life, too.  Haha.

xoxo, A

Photo Saturday: Bestie Jr. Maternity Shoot

I've already posted most of these to facebook, but I thought I'd showcase them here, as well.  My "little sister" and Bestie Jr. is due in just a couple weeks.  Soon, little Emmanuelle will be here... but while she was still chilling in her mama's belly, they wanted to capture her that way in photos.


That's where I came in.  Enjoy these glimpses of the earliest stages of mother and fatherhood.

xoxo, A

DIY Friday: Clip Art Paper Bags

This DIY project might be too simple for some of you.  I don't want to insult your intelligence or anything.  But seriously, this made for inexpensive and really cute Christmas wrapping for delectable goodies.  


But really, you could put any kind of little gifts inside these bags.  You could use them as party favors, wedding favors, baked goods packaging, and little gift bags.


The best part is, the bags are very inexpensive.  In fact, you can get a pack of about 25 at the dollar store!  They're already a pretty kraft paper color, so all you need now is a printer and ink.  I'm not a big fan of colored ink on these bags, so I think black ink does the trick well.


After you know what you'll be packaging, you can find some appropriate clip art.  This is a website I really like.  You can find all kinds of really cool vintage clip art to decorate your bags, like these:

{source}

Then you'll want to practice.  Run a piece of paper through your printer to see which side it prints on and where, and then you can line up your bag (one at a time).  Don't forget: you will probably want to fold the top down to either staple shut or punch holes in to tie down... so don't place it too high, and make sure it's not upside-down when the bag stands upright.


One it's the size you want and in the position you want, run your bag through and see what a cute, cheap, and easily personalized gift bag you have!


I got the idea from Pinterest, via this site, but I only added a vintage Christmas clip art, not a whole Valentine's Day message.  Give it a try!


xoxo, A

Thoughts for Thursday: You Won't Miss Him.

I don't want to mislead anyone; I know the title of this blog sounds like a potential Kelly Clarkson song about yet another relationship down the tubes.

But that's not what this post is about.  This post is about the fact that, despite what the single woman's heart secretly sometimes believes, you will not miss the one God has for you.

This goes out to you single women.  I was in your shoes for a long time, and not so long ago.  So don't roll your eyes, thinking Oh sure, it's easy for you to talk about singleness now that you're married.  I remember my singleness clearly-- the pain, the waiting, the trusting.

I don't know when I realized this truth, but it was sometime before I started dating Hband.  My whole adult life I had been waiting for the man God had for me.  Waiting, trusting, doubting, trusting... a never-ending cycle for 26 years.  Suddenly it made sense to me: if I was in God's will (and I believed I was-- I was following him, trying to obey), and I believed God was sovereign and had a plan (which I did), then I would not and could not possibly miss the right man.

I wouldn't turn the wrong corner and never run into him.  I wouldn't lose him to some other woman.  I wouldn't look too ugly for him to want me.  Those things just wouldn't happen.  There was nothing I could do to mess up what God had planned.

Because if I believed in God's sovereignty and faithfulness, I knew that nothing would thwart his perfect plan.  At the right time, in the right place, and in the right way, I would meet my future husband.

You can't imagine the peace that gave me.  It was all off my shoulders!  I didn't have to spend hours making sure I looked "perfect."  I didn't have to worry about those last ten pounds I couldn't shed.  I didn't have to fret about putting myself out there.  It was all in God's hands (where it belongs), and I only had the responsibility to be faithful to obey God and trust him.  The rest will fall in line.

I won't say that that realization is what caused me to start dating Hband.  I don't believe in those "if/then" mystical scenarios.  Nothing that I could do would propel God's plan into action, as if he was waiting for me.  but I do know that once I relaxed and allowed myself to trust God, my singleness didn't worry me nearly as much.

And before I knew it, suddenly a ministry acquaintance became a flirty friend, and that flirty friend became a boyfriend.  That boyfriend became my fiance, and that fiance became my husband.  And it was all exactly as God designed, in his perfect time and in the perfect way.  It was better than I could have imagined.  I still don't understand his timing.  Why then?  Why that way?  But I don't need to understand his timing.

I hope that you will trust in God's timing and leave your singleness in his hands.  Please relax and know that you'll never mess up God's plan and miss the one he has for you.  Allow yourself to enjoy your singleness.  I was able to recognize that it was a blessing-- a chance to be independent and free to do as I pleased: travel, spend time with others, focus on a career, and most importantly, devote myself to ministry.  I truly hope you'll see it as a blessing too.

Meanwhile, I now apply this to having children.  I don't want any now, or anytime soon (sorry Mom), but in the back of my mind, I worry about my age.  I always wanted to be pregnant in my twenties, and done having babies in my early thirties.  Then again, I used to want to get married at 22, and I'm SO glad that didn't happen.  So now I'm learning that I won't mess up my children or my body because I'm older when I have kids.  It will be exactly when and how God wants it.  I can relax, knowing that when the time is right, it will happen (please Lord, let it not be for a while... a long while!), and my children will only have problems if God wants them to have problems.

It's funny how even though we move on to the next life event, the things we struggle with and learn tend to stay the same.  But that's the beauty of it-- what we learn in the past will help us in the future.  And here's to that big, bright, beautiful future. :)

xoxo, A

Recipe Wednesday: Newlywed Pasta!

Why do I call this Newlywed Pasta, you might ask?  Simply because it's one of the easiest, quickest, healthiest, most delicious recipes I've made several times in my new marriage.  Of course, I made it before we were married, too, but "tuna meal" isn't as catchy as "newlywed pasta," is it? 

This pasta is just so good.  The flavors meld perfectly.  In fact, it's so good that it convinced me to like tuna.  Seriously.  I couldn't stomach the smell of tuna (still kind of can't), so I'd never eat it.  Until I tried this, out of love for Hband and his love for tuna.  Now I'll never go back.  Then again, I'll never go forward to tuna salad, either.  *shudder*

Newlywed Pasta: please forgive the inexact measurements-- it

you'll need:

• spaghetti-- enough for two.  I've tried whole wheat and it works well.
• olive oil-- enough to fill your pan/skillet about 1/4" (eyeball if you think it's enough for your pasta)
• water-- about 1/4 C
• lemon juice-- real or bottled, about 1/4 C
• crushed garlic-- to taste (I use two large cloves)
• cracked pepper, to taste
• sea salt, to taste
• red pepper flakes, to taste
• dried parsley-- about 1 tsp
• Any other seasonings you prefer-- I add a little of Marie Cavender's or today, seasoning from The Columbia restaurant 
• 1 large can of water-packed tuna
• flaked parmesan for top/garnish

(See how cheap?  You probably already had all those ingredients in your pantry!)

see how little my kitchen is and how easily this can be made in a tiny space?!

to make:

In a large pan/skillet, warm your oil over medium heat. 

Add your crushed garlic.  Don't overheat the oil or the garlic will burn.

Meanwhile, boil your water for the pasta and then add the spaghetti.  Cook until al dente, about 7 minutes.  Do not over boil.  Quick tip: put a spoon on top of the saucepan and the water won't boil over!

Increase the heat just a bit to med-high.

Add water and lemon juice.  Be sure not to let it get too watery.  Eyeball it.  It should still look like enough oil to coat your pasta.  If you have to decrease something, decrease the water.

Add salt, pepper, and any other seasonings. I give most attention to the red pepper flakes and dried parsley. I add lots of pepper flakes because we like it spicy! Your oil should not boil; it should be simmering.

When your pasta is done, add the drained tuna to the oil and stir a bit; let the oil coat it a bit.  You'll have to let it heat up again.  The tuna will cool it off a bit.

Look how clean the area is!  This meal is easy to clean as you go.

Finally, remove the pan from the heat and add the drained spaghetti to the pan.  Use tongs to toss the pasta in the oil and tuna mixture.  

Your pasta should be fully coated and mixed with the tuna.  Add parmesan to the top.  We were out, therefore no parmesan.

Enjoy without guilt!  Let me know if you like it/don't or have more exact measurements.


xoxo, A

Tip for Tuesday: Gift List and Gift Cache

I have a budget.  One of the columns on that budget is labeled "gifts."  Since I really love giving gifts, there never seems to be enough money in that budget.

Or, suddenly it's someone's birthday and I have .754 seconds to get a thoughtful gift and find a card.  I hate when that happens.

Over the years, I have begun to start a gift cache.  Some of the things there are re-gifts (things that were lovely gifts but something I didn't need), some are things I got on super-sale and couldn't think of an immediate use but knew someone would love, and the rest is a collection of things I've gotten on sale for friends and family members throughout the year that I'm saving for an occasion.

I love it when I find items for this cache-- they're usually found on the kind of shopping trip where I call my mom saying, "I got such and such and such-- guess how much it cost?!"  And she responds in shock and awe!

{I learned from the best}

But that's nothing new; you probably have a gift cache too.  But the newest tip regarding the gift cache is the gift list.  One day, I decided to sit down and make a list of every single gift I would need to buy (forseeably)for the entire year.  It took a while.  I listed them by month-- each holiday, each birthday, and each name for Christmas.  Then I started filling in gift ideas.

It helps if you have Pinterest.  If you don't already, get an account on this site!  Seriously!  Do searches for DIY gifts, inexpensive gifts, baby gifts, whatever it is you're looking for, and then write down your ideas.  Another help was blogs.  I subscribe to a number of couponing/deal blogs, and daily deals show up on my blog feed several times throughout the day, giving me gift ideas.  Soon I had my list mostly filled up with DIY projects I'm going to try, or inexpensive gift ideas.  Each gift was probably $10 or less!  Now if I actually DO the DIY projects, then it will be a success.  Don't worry if you have a lot of empty spots.  Those will fill in as you shop throughout the year (see tips below), but at least now you have every event you could think of written down, so there will be no surprises!  I keep mine in my purse so that if I'm out and see something for a great price, I see who it could fit on my list. 

Another benefit is you can see who is going to need cards throughout the year, so if you have, for example, a $1 off coupon for three American Greeting cards at Target, you won't search for random cards you'll never send, but instead will know exactly what you need.  I recommend this site for purchasing cards online.  They have endless, personalize-able options, and they often run specials in which you can order and ship a card for completely free!  I love it! 

Now that you have your gift list, here are my tips for shopping for your gift cache:

Personal Shower: find a Victoria's Secret outlet and purchase cute lingerie for $10 each; get on Victoria Secret's mailing list, and you'll often get $10 off a purchase of $10 coupons, and even free underwear coupons.  Also, stores like Marshall's and Ross carry inexpensive lingerie.

Store Coupons: take advantage of the $10 off $10, or $10 off $25, or whatever combo is sent out, and find items that would fit people on your list.  It's like getting free money.  I find that JCPenney (well, maybe before their recent changes) and Kohls have been awesome with this. 

Magazine Subscriptions: if you check deal blogs like me, you'll see that at least once a week, magazine subscription deals pop up.  I have gotten subscriptions for as low as $5 a year in the past, and it's a gift that keeps giving, all year long!

Use Coupons: Subscribe to newsletters online and get weekly coupons for Michael's, JoAnn's, Target, etc.  These are great, especially the craft stores, for picking up not just craft supplies for your DIY projects, but also ready-made gifts, like picture frames, candles, vases, etc.  They send at least one 40% off a single item coupon per week, and sometimes 50%-- imagine how much money you could save if you buy one gift a week!

Freebies: Bath and Body Works is one of many stores that offer a freebie with a purchase.  So you want those 2 for $20 candles (my favorite, BTW)?  Get them when you have a coupon for a free Signature Collection item of your choice.  You can sometimes get up to $13 items for free!  You'll need to get on the mailing list and/or purchase something to get coupons.

Shop Smarter, not Harder: Don't run around to a thousand places if you can get stuff for the same price on Amazon and take advantage of free shipping.  Be sure to group as much as you can together so you don't have to pay for shipping on a smaller order later.  Similarly, if you're getting something from Kmart or Walmart or a store like that, buy it online and have it sent to the store for free pickup-- I suppose it doesn't really save money unless you count driving to the store only to find they don't have what you want in stock.  But it does make life easier when you can shop from your couch.

A word of warning: try to avoid giving gifts that don't really fit that person's taste, just because you have it.  Nobody wants to be "that girl," with the crappy gifts.  Put genuine thought into your list (you can even add notes or ideas about what they like).  Search Amazon and Etsy for ideas, and then use those ideas to find the best prices there or somewhere else at a later date.  DON'T give them the socks your grandma knit you unless you know they love homemade knit socks.  I don't, but you know, whatever. 

I think once you make that list, you'll breathe a sigh of relief that this silent burden is off your shoulders-- then happy shopping!

xoxo, A

Inspiration Monday: Florida Backyard Party

It must be this warm weather talking, but I'm longing for a backyard party.  Of course, I've never had a backyard party in Florida, because when we do have parties in the spring/summer, they're located indoors, where our makeup doesn't melt off our faces and we avoid sweaty pit stains.

I remember backyard parties in Chicago.  My parents have an enormous backyard, and thick, lush, green grass.  Whatever the occasion-- Father's Day, Memorial Day, Mom's birthday-- both sides of the family would gather together on lawn chairs under the Catalpa tree and let the warm summer breeze graze our skin, as we invariably made fun of each other/loved being together.

I would like to imagine that one day I will have a lovely home here in Florida, and despite was Hband says, it will have a backyard.  In that backyard, I will have lots and lots of orange trees-- nearly a grove, maybe.  And amongst the thick cluster of orange trees, surrounded by their blossoms' heavenly scent, I will have a spring party; our makeup will not melt, and our armpits will stay dry, and this is what it will look something like:

My future backyard?  Only time will tell!

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Just for funsies, this party will have little spray-painted animals as placecards.  Follow the source link for the tutorial.

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There will be arrangements such as these (nevermind that peonies and tulips don't grow in Florida)

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And this just has the feel I'm going for-- nostalgic Florida

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We may have pretty drinks like this

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And for entertainment?  Animal-shaped pinatas, of course!

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Inspired yet to have a backyard party, wherever you're located?  It's about as pre-summer as you can get!



xoxo, A

Photo Saturday: Snapshots of Israel

I had the opportunity to go on a 10-day study tour of Israel with my parents' church.  It was a phenomenal experience.  I loved the ancient history and being able to see the land of the Bible with my own eyes.  I recommend everyone goes.  My favorite spots were the Sea of Galilee and Jerusalem.  I think everyone would love them as much as I did.

In a post about snapshots of Israel, you might expect to see typical sites of the Holy Land.  Instead, I wanted to give you a glimpse of some of the more unexpected or unusual sites that I enjoyed.  Enjoy a walk through the Holy Land-- more specifically, Jerusalem...

I remember stopping in my tracks when I came upon this little vendor as we walked through Jerusalem.

We spent our last night in Jerusalem atop an old hotel, hoping to view the supposed fireworks that never happened.  Instead, we saw a lunar eclipse!

I did not expect to find Willy Wonka's booth in the maze of Jerusalem's streets. 

This is our leader, Doug Bookman.  Never have I met a more knowledgeable Old Testament scholar!  What fun he was!  This was taken as we looked out at Jerusalem for the first time from the Mount of Olives.

This is a brother and sister, walking to school in the morning light.

On the Sea of Galilee...

Such a beautiful little alcove in Jerusalem.

In Nazareth Village, where they reminded us to let our light so shine among men...

Just outside our hotel in the Christian quarter. :)

xoxo, A

DIY Friday: Chalkboard-Matted Picture Frames!

Welcome, Friday!  Fridays have been dubbed "DIY Fridays..." with good reason, because here's a DIY!  And I fully realize, I am horrible, because I don't actually have any pictures that I have taken of these projects, etc., and no tutorials.  That will come, folks... that will come.  But for now, here are some simple instructions that will yield fantastic results!

Chalkboard-Matted Picture Frames:

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I made a few of these for Christmas presents, and they proved to be hits; they were also very inexpensive.

I think I found some frames on super sale at JoAnn Fabrics, but if you have a Hobby Lobby, Michael's, or really any place that has weekly sales and % off coupons, you can get your hands on nice-looking frames for cheap.  I looked for frames that already had large mats, so there would be room to write in chalk.

You know what works perfectly?  Shop around in June or July when wedding and graduation picture frames go on sale-- they have those huge mats so everyone can sign their names.

Anyway, Get yourself some chalkboard paint.  This is what I bought for my wedding, and it has lasted and lasted and lasted.  And it was cheap to begin with (I got mine at Walmart):

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Take apart the frame and simply paint the mat.  You will probably need two coats.  Let it dry completely,then put your picture in, write in chalk on the mat, put the frame together, and your gift is complete!  I don't recommend chalk pens unless you want your message to be permanent.  I've had to paint over chalk pens because they don't wash off.  Use good ol' chalk for your message, and it would be cute to include chalk as part of the gift!

Go too it-- it's the weekend!  DIY yourself silly!

xoxo, A

Thoughts for Thursday: I am NOT the Holy Spirit

And now we come to Thoughts for Thursday. Enjoy the thoughts: 

It's really easy to spot sin in others, isn't it?  It's not hard to determine when someone else is being impatient, letting their anger take control, acting selfishly, or being prideful.  Of course, identifying those sins in our own lives is a little more difficult.  That in and of itself is an indication of pride.

Regardless, if you spend any amount of time in close quarters with another individual, you'll see their sin and quickly.  It doesn't matter if they're your roommate, your sibling, or your spouse; no matter how much you love them, and no matter how wonderful they are, they are going to sin and you are going to see it.

And if you're anything like I am, you're going to want them to fix it.  Maybe it's for the right reasons-- because you want to see them overcome their sin and grow in their relationship with the Lord, ever maturing into the individual God wants them to become.  Or maybe sometimes it's a more selfish reason-- you want them to be as perfect as possible so your environment can be as perfect as possible and your life will be easier.

Well that's a whole other bag of worms, isn't it?

Hband doesn't sin any more than I do, or even any differently than I do, but I've found myself in an argument with him more times than I'd like, sometimes because I've identified sin and won't relent in confronting it until he sees it too.  And admittedly, this argument probably spawns and lingers from my self-righteousness and pride.

Confrontation isn't bad; in fact, if you never confront sin when you see it, that's a problem too.  Woman up and say something in love.  But the problem is my attitude and my unrelenting confrontation.  The problem is, like my wise friend (and soon-to-be-bride) said, "I am not his Holy Spirit."

The Holy Spirit was given as a helper, with the purpose of sanctifying the believer and acting as a guide-- MORE than "conscience," since even unbelievers have a God-given conscience.  He gives believers the ability to actually say "no" to sin.  He is the one who brings conviction that inspires repentance.  That is NOT me.

{John 14:16-18; 16:23-15; Romans 8:5-11, 13-16, 26-27}

My job isn't to relentlessly hound Hband or anyone else until they see their sin and repent.  Why?  Because Hband has the Holy Spirit, and He is working in my husband as much as he is working in me.  It's my responsibility to point out sin in a loving way, but beyond that, it's between him and the Lord.  Instead of all the energy I've spent arguing and convincing, perhaps I should apply that energy to identifying my own sin and repenting of it.

I think it's probably a control thing.  I want to control my environment, and in order to that, I want to control Hband's behavior.  But again, that's not my job.  He has been placed by God as my authority, and one does not argue and relentlessly badger their authority; that is disrespectful.  Besides-- he doesn't do that to me, and I'm JUST as sinful as he.

So... this is something about which I've been thinking over the last couple of days.  I'm working out how I will learn this in a practical way.  Any suggestions?  Do you struggle with this?  What has worked for you?

xoxo, A

Recipe Wednesday: Shredded Buffalo Chicken!

Wednesdays shall be henceforth known as Recipe Wednesday.  Even though my darling dearest wanted to be cute and suggested "Wecipe Wednesday." I may have laughed just a little/almost choked on my carrots.

Before I started dating Hband (that's husband, by the way, just in case anyone was confused), the thought of hot sauce made my stomach churn.  The smell alone was disgusting.  My dad liked it on his enchiladas, and all I remembered was that pungent smell and the crusty, rusty ring it collected around the cap.  Gross.

I also didn't care for wings.  In fact, I'm not even sure I started thinking about them until I was in college and heard my brother talking about meeting up with friends at Buffalo Wild Wings.

But then I moved to Florida, and either it's something here in Florida, or wings are having a moment, because suddenly, every guy I knew was crazy about wings, especially buffalo wings.  I couldn't have cared less about them.  I didn't like eating chicken off the bone, and they smelled funny.

And then I started dating my now husband, who ordered hot buffalo wings every single time we did the happy hour 1/2 price apps at the Applebees with the group.  He loved them so much.  I can picture him now: The plate arrives, he stoops down and inhales deeply, then gives a little twitch at that pungent smell, and dives in.  Soon there is sauce all over his face and hands, and the smell will linger for hours.

I mean, he really loves those things.  So I thought the least I could do was try them.  I did.  And I LIKED them.  Yeah, I really liked them.  "What's in this sauce?" I asked. 

"Hot sauce and margarine, I think." 

"...What?! Hot sauce? Gross!"

But it wasn't gross, it tasted delicious.  I am now therefore a buffalo sauce fan... but not so much wing fan.  What, I just still don't like eating meat off the bone!  What are we, Vikings with turkey legs?!  We've developed silverware, people!

In an effort to incorporate buffalo sauce into our dinners but without bones, I found this recipe on Pinterest and tried it out when we were dating.  It was an instant success, and probably one of the easiest meals I've ever made, ever.  Plus it fed us for days.

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Shredded Buffalo Chicken in the Crock Pot:

I found this recipe here, but I've tweaked it just a bit.

Needed:

• one package of frozen chicken breasts (I use 2.5 lbs because that's what I can find and it fits in a smaller crock pot)
• one packet of dry Ranch dressing mix
• one bottle (I used about 3/4ths of a bottle) of buffalo sauce (I've used Ken's)

Directions:

• Dump the whole bag of frozen chicken into your crock pot. 
• Cover with sauce.  I've found 3/4ths a bottle gives it the right kick for me.  Hband likes more, so I put extra on his sandwich at the end.
• Dump the packet of dry Ranch mix on top.
• Turn the crock pot on low and cook for 7 hours.
• Take the chicken out after 7 hours and use two forks to shred into pieces.  This should be easy after 7 hours-- it should come apart by itself.
• Separate fat particles and throw those away.  What's great is those easily come off now that they've been slow-cooked.
• Put the shredded chicken back into the crock pot full of buffalo sauce/chicken juice and cook on low for another hour.
• After that hour, your chicken is done!  Use however you'd like.  Here are some of my favorites:

Sandwich:

Put the chicken on a hoagie roll of some kind.  I add pepper jack cheese and a little Ranch dressing.  Some might like blue cheese or blue cheese dressing.  Use your imagination!  This is usually the first way I use the chicken after cooking.

Pizza:

Make or buy some pizza dough (Publix has some mighty good pizza dough)and mix some Ranch dressing and buffalo sauce together.  Apply a thin layer of that mixture for sauce, then add chicken.  Top with pepper jack cheese.  This was a little too strong for me, but had good flavor. 

Pockets:

Use crescent rolls as dough pockets.  Apply Ranch dressing to the dough, then top with chicken and some pepper jack cheese.  Roll or pinch up so the sides close, then bake!  These were yummy!

Potatoes:

Bake up some potatoes (you can even do this in the crock pot for hours!), then top with chicken and pepper jack cheese, and maybe Ranch, too, or sour cream.

These obviously all have similar flavors, but that's the point: those flavors are delicious!  Instead of getting burnt out on buffalo, try freezing the leftovers (I did and it worked great!) and using one buffalo meal a week.  We had enough chicken for three full meals with leftovers of each.

Happy buffaloing!

xoxo, A

Tip for Tuesday: Over-the-Door Shoe Organizers!

I've decided to make Tuesdays the day that I offer you tips.  Not that I'm so wise or clever.  I'm clearly not.  However, you maybe aren't as obsessed with Pinterest as I am, and therefore maybe haven't seen all the clever things I have on that delicious site.  So here you go: Tuesday's tip.

Over-the-door shoe organizers.  I shall type it again: OVER-THE-DOOR SHOE ORGANIZERS!!!

You might ask why I'm so excited by something so seemingly mundane.  Oh, you'll see in time.

Just take a gander at some of the possibilities afforded by this little friend of mine:

Store your bathroom tools and products and keep them within easy reach... no more rummaging around in drawers!

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Organize your child's car toys in one central and easily accessed area!

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Put herbs in each slot and grow your own vertical herb garden (but let's be real here-- you should probably do this outside or at least on a balcony, and you probably shouldn't use light colored canvas if you don't like the way mold and dirt look)!

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Store medical supplies and first aid supplies within quick and easy reach, so your child won't die before they get their Transformers bandaid!

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Store often-used pantry items in easy reach, or put individual portion sizes in each section, ready for quick consumption!

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Whether you homeschool or not, whether you're a teacher or not, whether you're an artist or not, you may have need to store art/office/craft supplies.  Do it easily in this!

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And my personal favorite, for it was a big victory in my own life: use it to store your cleaning products!

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I think this was probably the most practical, most wonderful tip I've ever gotten, and it has restored some of my sanity. 

Let's think about this: we all have too much stuff in our typical storage areas-- drawers, cabinets, etc.  And we all have doors, right?  I must live with the regrettable accordion closet doors in my apartment that are useless when it comes to using shoe organizers, but YOU-- you probably have some actual doors on hinges.  If so, you can do this with ease.

I have an aesthetic problem with using them over doors to the bathroom or somewhere it might be visible in the general living space.  It wouldn't match my decor, so I'd eye it with disdain every time I saw it.  BUT, if you have a pantry door or a closet door, they are ideal for this organizing piece of heaven.

I had an unusable space on the wall between the dryer and washer in my laundry "room."  They faced each other, so nothing could be set up against that wall.  SO, I simply took an over-the-door shoe organizer, didn't put the hooks up, and nailed it into the wall.  Still counts, because I now have twenty cleaning products easily accessible and not taking up valuable closet and shelf space in my little apartment.  I just love it so much. 

Let me encourage you to find a place in your house for at least one of these.  You will absolutely not regret it.  They cost anywhere from about $9-$30, depending on the materials and construction.  Mine was the cheapest plastic one I could find, and it's held up like a champ.

Go forth and organize.

xoxo, A